Jabir ibn Hayyan
~721–815 · Persian (Abbasid Caliphate) · Islamic Golden Age
Known for: Father of Chemistry who introduced systematic experimentation and discovered acids
Jabir ibn Hayyan was the most influential alchemist in history who transformed alchemy into something approaching chemistry through rigorous experimental methods. He discovered hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and aqua regia, and developed distillation, crystallization, and other techniques still used today.
His systematic approach to experimentation distinguished him from mere alchemists—he insisted on reproducible results.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.